Local people are playing their part in helping the conservation drive along the Sefton coast. For years they have been encouraged to take their old Christmas trees to Formby Point where they are used to form a barrier to the sea and slow down erosion of the dunes.
Sefton's natural coast is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EC Habitats Directive, while part of the coastal area between Formby and Crosby lies within the Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area and Ramsar site.
All along this coast you'll find a string of nature reserves that provide a home to many rare and interesting species. Access to the coast is remarkably easy, with miles of open beaches and numerous accessible footpaths that criss-cross the endless dunes and adjoining woodland and grassland. As a visitor, you're always welcome - provided you keep to the waymarked paths and respect the wildlife value of this area.
The major through route is the 20-mile Sefton coast path which links to various Merseyrail stations to allow easy round trips. The leisure opportunities here are endless. Children never tire of the antics of the rare red squirrels at Freshfield Squirrel Reserve while further north Ainsdale National Nature Reserve is a key location for the rare natterjack toad and sand lizard.
Another attractive area for wildlife is at Hightown, where the River Alt joins the sea. This estuary is noted for wading birds such as the bar-tailed godwit, knot and sanderling that overwinter here.
This is ideal picnic territory too, with good facilities and endless open space for youngsters to work off surplus energy. Ainsdale's bathing beach is one of the most popular on the coast and the only one in the North West to gain the International Blue Flag.
The beach is one of the UK's major sites for extreme kite activities, with zones set aside for buggy, landboard and kitesurfing enthusiasts. This area is a magnet too for golfers, boasting a string of superb links courses headed by Royal Birkdale, home of the 2008 Open Golf Championship.
With its tree-lined streets and elegant shopping arcades, Southport combines the attractions of a modern resort with a remarkable natural environment. As well as offering an entertaining tram ride, the town's restored Victorian pier is an ideal place to watch the flocks of wading birds returning from their northern breeding grounds at the end of summer.
Looking inland you may also catch sight of flocks of ducks or geese wheeling across the flat Lancashire plain towards the sanctuary of the internationally famous Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Martin Mere. Closer to the urban areas of north Liverpool you can still find interesting pockets of greenery such as Rimrose Valley Country Park and Brookvale Local Nature Reserve.
There is little doubt that our planet is changing and this could have some serious implications to the way we live and the coastline we visit. It is estimated that over the next 40 years we could see a change in sea levels and climate. This could mean not only warmer temperatures and changed weather patterns but also loss of some of the most valuable habitats that we have on our coastlines.
